Facebook and Instagram are currently being used to facilitate sales and trades of firearms between private sellers. Most of these sales and trades can take place without background checks, meaning that there’s no way to stop a Facebook or Instagram user from potentially selling a gun to a felon, a domestic abuser or another dangerous person who would otherwise be prohibited from obtaining a gun. Although Facebook bans advertising that promotes the sales of weapons, your very platforms are enabling firearms sales to happen with no questions asked. We are asking you to immediately enact a policy banning all gun sales—especially unregulated private sales—from Facebook and Instagram.

Why is this important?

Moms use Facebook and Instagram as a way to stay connected with our family, friends and loved ones. I was shocked to learn that the very platforms I use to share photos of my family children are also being used to facilitate private sales and trades of firearms between unknown parties. Thanks to lax federal and state laws, most of these transactions can take place without a background check. That means virtually any adult with Facebook or Instagram account could sell or trade a firearm to someone they don’t know—potentially a dangerous person who couldn’t pass a background check.

Why is a background check so important? It is the easiest way to prevent dangerous people like convicted felons, domestic abusers from obtaining a gun. Shockingly, nearly 6.6 million firearms are sold, traded, or transferred every year without a background check, and a growing number of these private sales are initiated online.

Although Congress failed to close the loophole that would require background checks on private sales initiated online, Facebook and Instagram can immediately take action to stop such sales from taking place on their platforms. In fact, other online marketplaces—such as Craigslist and eBay—have already done so.

Please join me in urging Facebook and Instagram to immediately act in the interest of public safety and prohibit all sales and trades of guns on their platforms.